Make conversation understandable and purposeful
Stephen Krashen's input hypothesis proposes that acquisition develops through understanding language that includes material beyond a learner's current competence. It informs our aim to keep exchanges understandable. Teachers put this into practice by choosing a level and task that give students something familiar to build on and something new to try.
Source: Stephen D. Krashen (1982), Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition, chapter II (PDF)
- Teachers can set the language, level, context, vocabulary, and communication goal for each activity.
- AI partners can keep the exchange moving with follow-up questions instead of jumping to unrelated topics.
- Students get a reason to speak while still receiving enough context to understand the next turn.
Design for lower-pressure speaking practice
Krashen's affective filter hypothesis proposes that emotional factors can influence language acquisition. It informs ChitterChatter's aim to offer lower-pressure rehearsal before live interaction. How comfortable a learner feels will depend on the person, the activity, and how it is used in class.
Source: Krashen (1982), the affective filter hypothesis, chapter II (PDF)
- Practice can happen privately, asynchronously, or as preparation before live interaction.
- Repeat attempts make errors useful because students can immediately try a stronger version.
- Feedback is framed as formative guidance rather than a public performance judgment.
Align tasks with ACTFL-oriented communicative goals
ChitterChatter is not an official ACTFL rating instrument, but it is designed to support ACTFL-aligned classroom thinking: what learners can do with language, in which contexts, with what level of control, detail, and interactional support.
Source: ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2024 overview
- Activities can be built around functions such as asking, narrating, explaining, comparing, persuading, or resolving a problem.
- Scenarios give students a role, audience, setting, and communicative purpose instead of isolated sentence drills.
- Transcripts, recordings, and feedback help instructors interpret performance evidence with professional judgment.
Design for willingness to communicate
Willingness to Communicate describes a learner's readiness to speak. Confidence, the topic, and the people involved can affect that readiness. This model informs ChitterChatter's focus on approachable tasks that connect to a learner's interests or classwork.
- Students can rehearse familiar situations before they are asked to perform them in front of others.
- Teachers can choose scenarios that match the class unit, learner identities, travel goals, professional needs, or community contexts.
- Small exchanges give students a manageable starting point before peer, instructor, or real-world interaction.
Use role play as structured interactional practice
ChitterChatter uses role play to give speaking practice a purpose. Instructors can define a role, a goal, constraints, and a reason to ask questions or clarify meaning.
- Role plays can simulate restaurant exchanges, interviews, advising meetings, workplace updates, family conversations, or academic discussions.
- Students practice repair strategies such as asking for clarification, rephrasing, and responding to unexpected follow-ups.
- Teachers can use repeated role plays to move from controlled practice toward more spontaneous interaction.
Keep instructors in the interpretive loop
The methodology is teacher-in-the-loop. AI can expand opportunities for practice and produce useful artifacts, but instructors remain responsible for goals, context, interpretation, assessment decisions, and classroom follow-up.
- Teachers see participation, transcripts, recordings, feedback, and class patterns when those details are useful.
- Feedback gives students a starting point while the conversation is still fresh.
- Class-level evidence can help instructors decide what to revisit, model, or practice next.